Microsoft launched its Surface Pro tablet over the weekend. The software giant is now boasting that the Surface Pro tablet has sold out at most retail locations. Microsoft no longer shows 128 GB version of the tablet as in stock on its own online store.

Other locations including Best Buy and Staples are also sold out of the tablet. Microsoft, however, does still show that the cheaper 64 GB Surface Pro at its own online store. Selling all available units would usually indicate strong demand, however, it remains unclear exactly how many units Microsoft had available.

Business Insider reports that some posts online indicate that Best Buy and Staples locations had only a few Surface Pro tablets in stock while some locations had no stock at all. Posts to the official Surface blog also indicate that there were few tablets to be had.

One post read, "Tried every outlet that Microsoft released the Surface Pro. Cannot get my hands on the 128 GB version. My local Staples and Best Buy stores ( 2 of each ) had 2 64 GB versions for sale each and ran out by 9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on Feb. 9 and had no 128 GB versions at all. What is wrong with you guys at Microsoft?"

I logged at future shop online at 8am and there were 14 units left. Went to refill my cofee, hit refresh and there was none left. That's 14 units per 2 minutes, you do the maths.

I got mine from Microsoft store at around 11 a.m. (took time to make my mind). It was reported sold out soon after. So i guess they had quite a few.

Oh yeah, for those asking, EVERY GODDAM pc game and console game made before 2006, it can run. (yes NES, SNES, MAME emulator and old retro pc games). That's what i'll use it for besides work. I'm sure every good android & iOS game will soon be ported to Windows 8, and it will run flawlessly. It's the most powerful tablet on the market by far, it will take 3 years for ARM tablets to catch up.

I don't understand why everyone is lining up to be first in line to hate on x86 tablets. Any real computer enthusiast has been wanting this device for the last 20 years. This device isn't perfect but its a great start. I will be buying a x86 tablet some time in the next year and I am looking forward to how this tablet spurs OEMs into gear to deliver a more gaming oriented version.

My Steam folder is around 400GB right now. Surface Pro is hardly a replacement for anything. I already have a $200 tablet to play Angry Birds. Oh, and the $800 laptop will run for 8 hours on a charge. Not really sure what Surface Pro is good for.

Because nobody in their right mind would want a $1000 Windows touch screen ultra book with USB 3.0, 3rd generation Intel Core i5 Processor, microSDXC card reader with Mini DisplayPort that runs full blown applications like Microsoft Office and Blustacks.

Basically a tablet that can run nearly every application ever developed.

-comparable Ultrabook pricing\iPad 128GB pricing-lighter than any Ultrabook-typical resolution for Sub-$1000 Ultraportable-average Ultrabook battery life-runs warm , no reviewer said "hot"-no review mentioned fan noise to be intruding-typical Intel graphics, same as 90% of notebooks-since when was 720p camera not enough for conference calls?-what's wrong with the stylus mount?-low build quality? what? have you even read reviews?-how is the power connector design any better/worse than Apples magsafe?-two of the most revolutionary keyboard designs ever, why don't you try them first?-what tablet can you use on your lap with a keyboard?-it's a Windows 8 delivery vehicle, designed to expand on the features of the OS, specifically touch. so obviously it runs Windows 8. if you have a problem with that and want Windows 7, go ahead and load Windows 7 on it and enjoy the 'excellent' touch support Windows 7 offers.

True, but people are used to Windows based machines costing less than Apple's prices

quote: -lighter than any Ultrabook

But not lighter than its main competitor: the iPad. Agian, people expect better from a Windows machine than they get from Apple

quote: -typical resolution for Sub-$1000 Ultraportable

Again, not better than the iPad 4

quote: -average Ultrabook battery life

But horrible when compared with Android and Apple devices. People expect more. People expect at least in the same ballpark as other high end tablets. The Surface Pro is off by a factor of two to five depending on what you're doing

quote: -runs warm , no reviewer said "hot"

One person's warm is another person's hot. It's subjective unless you put a thermocouple on it and measure it

quote: -no review mentioned fan noise to be intruding

Same as with temperature

quote: -typical Intel graphics, same as 90% of notebooks

It's not competing with 70% of notebooks. It's competing with the top of the line tablets

quote: -since when was 720p camera not enough for conference calls?

Should be fine for most people.

quote: -what's wrong with the stylus mount?

It's the stylus thing in the first place.

quote: -low build quality? what? have you even read reviews?

From what I've seen the quality is good to very good. I would never rank it as excellent.

quote: -how is the power connector design any better/worse than Apples magsafe?

Apple's iPad does not have a magsafe connector. It uses the new lightning connector, but your point is valid

quote: -two of the most revolutionary keyboard designs ever, why don't you try them first?

I have tried it. It's not for me. Not even close. But that's a bit of personal preference

quote: -what tablet can you use on your lap with a keyboard?

There are third party devices for Android and Apple tablets that include a keyboard that when combined create a much more stable combination than the Surface and its keyboard

quote: -it's a Windows 8 delivery vehicle, designed to expand on the features of the OS, specifically touch. so obviously it runs Windows 8. if you have a problem with that and want Windows 7, go ahead and load Windows 7 on it and enjoy the 'excellent' touch support Windows 7 offers.

This is BY FAR (very, very far, acutally) the strongest selling point of the Surface Pro. You an run the vast majority of Windows apps on it. My guess (purely a gut feeling) is that the Surface Pro will be a success for Microsoft. People want a tablet, but they also want all the Windows apps that they love/hate but use. I believe the Surface Pro will sell well if only for that single reason.

You are about as dead wrong as you can get. This device is a device that has the properties of an ultra book, but with the ability to use it in the tablet form factor. It is not a competitor to the ipad, or any other android notebook.

Also, why is having a stylus a bad thing? Additional features are suddenly a downside?

Arbitrary Apple limitation as they sought to create a consumption device. A stylus is a fundamental requirement for a device geared for creating stuff. The same with a keyboard. I can type far faster with a real keyboard - I do a LOT of writing (physics and software security) and finger fumbling on an iPad is frustrating at best. Having a built on tablet keyboard is pretty neat contrasted with having to get a third party setup for an iPad (hidden cost in iPad pricing).

> quote:> -lighter than any Ultrabook>>But not lighter than its main competitor: the iPad. Agian, people >expect better from a Windows machine than they get from Apple

You're confused. The Surface Pro is not a competitor to the Ipad. Both are tablet form, yes. But one has a desktop class cpu and operating system, and the ipad does not. If Apple squished the guts of a mac mini into an ipad and ran OSX, it would be the same type of product.

It may be able to run all Win8 software, but 99.999% of all software that CAN run on Windows is going to have serious issues with the touchscreen/default resolution. Have you seen the new Office updated for Metro? Making it touchscreen friendly has turned it into a kludge. Real work generally involves precision - and even the best touchscreen will NEVER come close to a mouse.

quote: This is BY FAR (very, very far, acutally) the strongest selling point of the Surface Pro. You an run the vast majority of Windows apps on it

And the vast majority of Windows apps are built for the desktop interface, which means they are horrible for touch just like the Windows 7 slabs.

Even the new touch centric tile ui can't save the surface, because let's face it, it's no where near as good as Android or iOS, which were designed from ground up to be touch friendly, not some tacked on superimposition sitting on top of the old Windows 7 desktop pretending it's not.

You're forgetting about the stylus, probably because Apple told you to.

The stylus is a near-perfect mouse replacement for legacy apps on an ultra-mobile platform (aside from FPS games), and even has precision/control advantages. I use it with remote desktop on my Galaxy Note. You hover for mouse movement, tap to left-click/drag, and press the stylus button to right-click.

The point of Surface is that you don't have to be hamstrung by the limitations of touch in a 2lb form factor.

I'm actually pretty sure that Apple shunned the stylus for exactly this reason. The stylus would have played perfectly into Apple's creative, graphic designer image, but it also gives legacy apps a chance to survive on an ultra-mobile platform. They want to make x86 obsolete.

If MS would have came out with this years ago it could have been a hit. We have since moved into a world where it is far more convenient to have everything just work. Your average person doesn't want to kludge around with installing PC software, updating drivers and dealing with scaling modes.

The fact that a tablet has a fan made me actually laugh out loud. This product is an embarrassment when compared to the Nexus 10 or iPad 4. Enjoy your Zune.

Mine runs warm, is quiet, and runs about 4 hours doing normal stuff. It works. I have been taking notes on build ups using the stylist in the lab. And... had a Windows 2003 server running in VMware 9 workstation this morning.

You are just guessing. If you used one, you would know. It is an ultrabook in sff.

quote: We have since moved into a world where it is far more convenient to have everything just work. Your average person doesn't want to kludge around with installing PC software, updating drivers and dealing with scaling modes.

Yeah right, because jailbreaking to have access to the real features is "It Just Works".

Actually, Peter's review focussed on exactly one use-case: his. He uses his laptop in his lap to type things on. The Surface is crap for this (well, it's not better than other tablets at least, the touch keyboard is probably the best in the business, but not by any real margin).

Peter said it wasn't hot but he did find the fans to be annoying (but importantly he said they weren't overly loud, he just didn't like the tone they produced).

The device didn't meet Peter's expectation, but to be honest I can't understand how he had so little idea of what he was going to be getting.

It's not a laptop. It's a portable computer you can use as a tablet. A laptop is an in-between advice that (IMO) is crap for taking with you and crap for using somewhere fixed.

The Surface Pro is a little better for working at a desk (as it takes up less space, I would be plugging in a real monitor/mouse/keyboard for usability or using it as a monitor).

It's a LOT better for using on the couch (notebook's can't really be used on the couch, IMO, so this isn't exactly hard).

It's also a LOT more portable than any laptop or ultrabook.

It's failures when compared to a laptop are obviously battery, screen size and typing-in-your-lap. With the latter two you're no worse off than any tablet (indeed you're better off than most).

Which leaves the sole (major, there's LOTS of minor things that could be improved), valid criticism of the device as battery life. Battery life on the Surface Pro is pretty abysmal. It doesn't impact me personally (which is why I'm buying one as soon as humanly possible), but I expect this to be a deal breaker for those looking for primarily a tablet.

Of course there are lots of minor things that should be fixed/improved (in addition to the big one, which is battery life):- The pen should slide away somewhere instead of clipping onto the same spot as the charger.- Weight needs to be reduced, I would say this is the second biggest problem with the Surface Pro, although I didn't find it overly heavy, it's not quite light enough for a tablet.- Get rid of the fans. Tablets should be silent, not quiet.- Better graphics performance - HD4000 is actually pretty capable (better than all other tablets maybe?), but it's fairly weak by PC standards.- I kinda want to say "get more apps", but considering everything I've looked for is already on the ms app store, this might already be covered